h f h j news letter 35 · the earthquake. savitri’s family story ranuki’s family story ranuki...
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Hiroshima Land Slide
H F H JN e w sL e t t e r 2015 August
News from the Field
6 Months On - Nepal Earthquake
Issue 35Habitat for Humanity Japan Newsletter
HFHJ Newsletter 35HFHJ Newsletter 35
Voice from the Field
INTERVIEW
Yoshiko TokuchiProject Coordinator
6 Months On - Nepal Earthquake
I was in Kathmandu, Nepal, when the earthquake hit.
Being in the field, I feel that rebuilding - or building an
even better country - will take a long time.
There is a saying that I hold close to my heart: "If
you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far,
go together."
Humanitarian work requires patience at times, and
one may feel frustrated seeing people in need of
assistance.
However, in order to "go far," we must all work
together and rebuild this beautiful country.
Six months have passed since a 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal
on 25 April 2015, with the epicenter about 80 kilometers
northwest of the capital, Kathmandu. This was followed by
another magnitude-7.4 earthquake to the northeast near Mount
Everest on 12 May. According to the government of Nepal,
more than 8,800 people were killed. The effect on housing was
devastating, as the government reports more than 602,000
homes destroyed and 285,000 homes damaged.
The Nepal government declared a state of emergency and
requested international aid. Many international agencies
responded, including Habitat for Humanity.
In the subsequent months since the earthquakes, the recovery
process in Nepal has moved on from the emergency phase, and
recovery and reconstruction has begun. While conditions
prevent full implementation of projects, Habitat is pursuing
additional measures in Nepal, including reworking project
delivery schedules, seeking local organizations to help support
technical assistance and core house programs, and supporting
local communities holistic services.
Progress Repor t
▶ Safety Assessment Project
Picture from Pakistan's safety assessment
Habitat for Humanity distributed
water backpacks to displaced
families, used to facilitate trans-
port of drinking water from wells
and other sources.
20,000 backpacks have been
distributed.
Shortly after the earthquake, Habitat for Humanity
removed rubble together with about 100 volunteers. The
total rubble removed amounts to 650 tons.
▶ Water Backpacks ▶ Rubble Removal
Habitat for Humanity distributed temporary shelter kits to affected families. Habitat for
Humanity’s temporary shelter kits contain materials such as corrugated galvanized iron
roofing, steel tubing, re-enforcing rods, fixings and tools that can be reused for permanent
house construction at a later stage.
Number of temporary shelter kits distributed: 5,065
Number of families supported: 5,065
Number of volunteers involved: 142
Number of demonstration temporary shelters built: 21 (As of 4 September 2015)
▶ Temporary Shelter Kits Distribution
Shelter Kits in Numbers
Habitat for Humanity Japan conducted a Safety Assessment Project
in three districts after the earthquake. Surveyors conducted safety
assessments for 16,244 damaged houses, to help families determine if
their homes are still safe for habitation, to facilitate demolishment of
unsafe homes, and to provide technical support to those able to repair or
retrofit their homes.
Municipalities will be provided with data collected from the surveyed
houses. The data is to be used by government officials in order to rebuild
and improve their communities.
Family Stories
Savitri, 35, has been raising her four children alone since her husband passed away 10 months ago. When the magni-
tude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal on 25 April, she and her children were in a house in Kathmandu. Her first concern was
how to save her kids—ranging from three to 17 years old.
Savitri and her children all ran out into an open space in the city, then had to spend the next two nights without
shelter. They continued to stay in the open until she approached a neighbor to ask if Savitri’s family could share a tent
with his family. He generously agreed.
When another earthquake hit Nepal on 12th May, all that Savitri
could think of was, “This is it. This is the end. I thought my kids and
I are all going to die here and now.” Fortunately, the family remained
safe and she is thankful, even though she still faces many challenges.
On 4th June, Habitat for Humanity Nepal distributed temporary
shelter kits in Savitri’s community in Bhetwalthok, Paanchkhaal
municipality of the Kavre district. Habitat staff and volunteers,
along with local community members, helped build a temporary
shelter for her. Now, Savitri has one less worry off her mind; her
children will not have to stay in a damaged house, and she is hope-
ful that she can get back to work. “Although I’m a single mother
with who has to feed five mouths by myself, I know that this disas-
ter has hit others hard, too. They might have a partner or a friend
to go through this disaster with them, unlike me, but the situation
is no less difficult for them as it is for me.” She hopes that other
families will find the help that they badly need in the aftermath of
the earthquake.
Savitri’s Family Story
Ranuki’s Family StoryRanuki Danuwar’s biggest fear after experienc-
ing the magnitude-7.8 earthquake on 25 April
was that more earthquakes will hit Nepal. “My
husband was able to return to work a week after
the earthquake. I could not farm for a month—I
was too worried that more earthquakes would
happen. I only returned to farming because my
husband said, ‘Earthquakes will happen, but life
has to go on.”
Ranuki considers it a blessing that Habitat for
Humanity provided all 93 families in her village
with temporary shelter kits on 26 May.
On 8 July, Ranuki, 45, and her husband Kansa,
47, broke ground for the construction of their
new home, the first of 100 permanent houses
that Habitat will directly build as part of the earthquake response. About 30 people, including Habitat staff, volun-
teers, and some community members who would be receiving permanent houses, witnessed the milestone.
“I’m very happy that we have shelter using materials from the temporary shelter kit that Habitat provided,” she said.
“I’m even happier now, knowing that permanent houses will be built for families in my community.”
House RepairHiroshima
HFHJ Newsletter 35
Over a year has passed since the mudsl ide in
Hiroshima that took 74 people's lives. Visitors in
Hiroshima may get an impression that the city has
regained its peaceful charm. There are, however,
those still in need.
Hiroshima Tasuke-tai is our local partner organization.
Together, we completed home repair projects, mainly
focusing on removing mud that accumulated under flooring.
Needs in Hiroshima vary from household to household,
but mud under flooring of houses that were submerged in
water is an especially serious issue. During Japan's rainy
season, dry mud may become wet and create unsanitary
environment, affecting inhabitants' health. It may also
damage the structure of the house itself.
Physical structure isn't the only thing that requires care
and attention. Needless to say, the loss those who lost
family and friends suffer is immense. It also affected the
community life. A resident in the affected area speaks of
the hole left in her community: "My house was completely
unharmed, but my next door neighbor's house got
completely destroyed. Before the mudslide, I used to go
out the backdoor and pop by their house to share
leftovers. Old habits die hard - I still go out the back, only
to find there is nothing beyond the door. I feel guilty for
surviving. Especially on rainy days, my heart aches."
Mr. Komiya from Hiroshima Tasuke-tai has a wish: "I
would like to stay with the community for three more
years, or at least until there is a sand dam so residents can
truly feel safe to be living here." Habitat Japan completed
the project in Hiroshima but hopes to keep supporting the
Tasuke-tai through calling for volunteers and Campus
Chapter activities.
Together with Hiroshima Tasuke-tai , Repairing houses in Hiroshima
Mr. Komiya
Hiroshima Tasuke-tai
Hiroshima Tasuke-tai
wh
at is "
Hir
osh
ima
Tas
uke
Tai"
?
01
02
03
Scene from Hiroshima right after the mud-slide. Mud is accumu-lated under flooring.
Clean structure after the mud r emova l a nd sanitization.
We are a local non-profit organization
that started after the mudslide in
order to support those affected by
the disaster. Our activities range from
removing mud from houses and
infrastructure to moving support. We
will continue our work in Hiroshima
together with our resilient community.
We are always looking for volunteers,
so please join us!
V o l u n t e e r s r emove mud and s an i t i ze the ground.
Over six months have passed since the earthquake in Nepal, and we see less and less coverage on the situation in Nepal. This, however, does not mean the needs have been fulfilled; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Political and social instability have added even more onto Nepal's plate that had already been full. Habitat for Humanity will continue its work in Nepal - and we are thankful for your generous support which allows us to do so.
Moe NakazatoBunkyo UniversityHabitat Bunkyo Karon President
Students from Habitat Bunkyo Karon, a Habitat for
Humanity Japan Campus Chapter, gave a lecture at
Kawasaki High School in April. Karon received positive
feedback from the students.
The opportunity to give a talk at the high school came just
when I was thinking how essential it is for high school
students to learn about international cooperation and humani-
tarian work. There were two main points that we hoped to
make. First - opportunities to participate in international
cooperation is all around us! Second - poverty housing affects
millions people around the world, and we should not turn our
backs to it. We, then, of course told them about Habitat for
Humanity's work and its system.
Before the lecture, many of the students said they were not
interested in volunteering or humanitarian aid; however, by
the end, they felt that the world was a little bit "closer" to
them. We were touched and pleased to hear the feedback, and
are looking forward to spreading the message further.
▶ For more information, visit
www.habitatjp.org or contact us at [email protected]
Habitat Japan believes that everyone has something to
contribute. Around the world, volunteers participate in
construction and other activities along with community
members and home partners. Volunteers play a crucial role in
Habitat's effort in creating "a world where everyone has a
decent place to live."
Call for Volunteers
T O P I CHFHJ Newslet ter 35
Messages from High School Students
It was such a great opportunity for me to learn
about volunteering and international cooperation.
I used to think that people in need simply lived in
struggle, but now I realize that we are all people.
I really enjoyed hearing stories from people with
different perspectives. Thank you so much for
the great stories, Habitat Bunkyo Karon!
"Volunteering abroad" sounded scary in the begin-
ning, but as we learnt more about it, it started to
sound fun and meaningful. I am going to see what
kind of volunteer activities there are for high
school students!
2012
2014
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2013
Habitat for Humanity Japan
Kindaikagakusha Bldg 3F, 2-7-15 Ichigayatamachi,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0843
Tel: +81-(3)-5579-2550 Fax: +81-(3)-5579-2551
Email: [email protected] Website:www.habitatjp.org
Habitat for Humanity is an international NGO that aims
to realize "a world where everyone has a decent place
to live." Habitat works in about 80 countries around the
world and has helped more than 600,000 families.
Editor’s Note
Habi-BitoEnthusiasts in Habitat
Global Village program (GV) is Habitat's overseas volun-
teer program where teams of 10-25 volunteers spend
7-10 days building houses abroad. This spring, please
join us in building decent houses in Asia-Pacific region.
”Former President Jimmy Carter participates in a building activity”